Second Chances: An Avengers Christmas
by enchantment1972
Summary: Christmas Eve at Darcy's favorite bar gives the Avengers a second chance to become more than teammates, they become friends.


Author's Notes: My family and I had a Marvel movie marathon and this came to me while I was watching the Avengers movies so expect a little bit of non-canon mixed in with what you know. And, yes, it's late for Christmas but I still wanted to share it. :)

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in relation to Marvel Comics or the Avengers, the BBC's The Archers or Frankenstein.

Work Text:

"Welcome to my home away from home, Second Chances!" proclaims Darcy as she bursts through the front doors along with a fresh gust of cold air. "Its name came from a dating service that they used to run on the side for people who had broken up with their significant other but wanted to try again. We discovered it when it looked like Thor wasn't coming back from Asgard." She nudges her best friend in the ribs and reminds her, "Good times, eh Janie?"

Thor turns a suspicous eye onto Jane. "Is this how you met _**Richard?"**_

"Yes, it was," answers Darcy in a smug tone causing Thor to frown at Jane while she merely rolls her eyes and grumbles under her breath, "It was **two years."**

"Anyway, people," Darcy directs Pepper and the Avengers with a clap of her hands, "the bar is over there and the tables are everywhere else. Go on, make yourself comfortable and most importantly, have fun!" She points to her favorite table in the middle of the bar. "Jane and I will be right over there if you need us," she pauses to consider, "unless I'm talking to a cute guy and then you're on your own." She waves them off into the bar, "Now, go on, shoo! You too, Thor. Jane and I are due some serious catching up on our girl talk."

Once the women have ordered a few drinks and are comfortably seated, Darcy leans forward and demands, "Okay, spill! Why is everybody who lives in Avengers Tower having to fend off the press because Thor has a problem with Santa?" Her voice lowers into a tone that's shrouded with secrecy. "Is this some Norse thing?"

Jane shakes her head with a sigh. "No, it's not a Norse thing, it's just a stupid misunderstanding thing. Thor and I were walking past a church when the local clergyman, who was dressed like Santa, came out of a shed with a pack on his back full of toys and then peeked in through a window before making his way around the church." Jane places her head in her hands. "I was so embarrassed! Here is this man, _a man of the cloth_ , mind you, trying to make a few children happy by having Santa Claus deliver presents to their party, and he's attacked by the God of Thunder!" She looks up with a forlorn expression. "Thor thought he was stealing the children's possessions which to him, " she pauses a moment to use air quotes, "'is a crime that is most foul.' And then of course there was the other thing."

"What other thing?" inquires an intrigued Darcy, failing miserably at even the slightest attempt at concealing her amused grin.

"Well, the priest wasn't working alone, he had one of the Sister's helping him and...," she steadfastly ignores Darcy's expression of anticipatory bliss, "and when she was able to step between them, she made the all too innocent mistake of explaining how the priest was supposed to be Santa and that she was an elf."

Darcy's eyes immediately alight with understanding. "And Thor was thinking as in Dark Elf?"

"Yes, exactly," notes Jane in mortification. "So now with the battle seeming to escalate with two against one..." She shook her head, still in disbelief. "Let's just say that I will never mess with a nun and leave it at that."

"Wow," breathes out Darcy in amazement. "Thor ready to do battle with Santa and his helper in a Christmas Slaying." She props her head up with her hand and suggests, "Maybe it's time to start laying off of the Asgardian mead."

"You think?" returns Jane, full of sarcasm.

Darcy grins widely. "Well, that's over and done with now and we're here to party." She slaps her hand down on the table. "My treat for the jukebox! Any requests?"

"Anything but 'I Need A Hero'", she declares firmly, "I don't want to tempt fate. Thor's off the clock tonight and I want it to stay that way."

"Okey-dokey, one round of 'Take This Job and Shove It' coming up!" assures Darcy before heading off to the jukebox.

Across the room, the two men who are best known for being men of few words are about to begin their first real conversation. "Hey, Doc," greets Clint as he approaches Bruce's corner booth, "do you mind if I join you?"

Bruce waves his hand at the empty space next to him. "Be my guest."

"Water, again?" Clint asks when he spies the water bottle.

Bruce gives a helpless shrug. "I've had my fill of living dangerously. I don't want to push my luck."

He chuckles softly. "I can understand that," the archer replies before grabbing a handful of peanuts. "I didn't offer to be the designated driver out of the goodness of my heart, I wanted to make sure my faculties remain intact."

Bruce darts a sympathetic glance towards his teammate. "Having trouble sleeping?" Clint watches him with narrowed eyes. "I recognize the signs. It's because of Loki, right?"

Clint remains silent as he reaches for another handful of peanuts, only to shove the bowl away from him at the last moment. He leans back in the booth with his arms crossed over his chest staring out at nothing as he relives every moment under Loki's control in his mind. "Yeah, it's him." He shakes his head in disgust. "I just can't get it out of my mind...the loss of control. Everything I stand for, everything I stand against, gone in a split second because a Norse god with sibling rivalry issues pokes me in the chest with his magic stick." He drags his hands over his face. "If it hadn't been for Nat, who knows how long I would've been under?" Sighing wearily, he turns a tortured expression to Bruce. "Who knows what else I would've done? I can't let my guard down like that again."

"I know the feeling," commiserates the scientist. "When the Hulk...the other guy comes into play, it's like I don't even exist. Everything that I want, it doesn' t matter." The water bottle crunches under his grip when he tightens it in resignation. "It's all about him."

"Geez, man, at least I could break free." He turns to his friend, searching for some kind of answer. "How do you cope with it?"

"I do exactly what you're doing now," he replies in a solemn tone. "I keep my guard up every day and fight like hell to retain control every second of every day."

"Doesn't seem to work out for you though, does it?" asks Clint with an all too knowing smile.

"No, not always," he answers with a wry grin while swirling the water around in his bottle. "Like I told Natasha, I don't always get what I want." He looks at Clint with a strength and determination that isn't often seen in the gentle scientist. "But I do fight for what I can have with everything I am ," he tips his glass to take a drink, " and so will you because it's worth it."

Clint's head dips down in contemplation before he gives a curt nod. "I suppose it is, considering the alternative."

Bruce offers an encouraging grin. "Besides, I wouldn't worry too much, I'm pretty sure that the incident with Loki was a one-time thing. Try and put it out of your mind and just relax."

Clint arches an inquiring eyebrow at the his new confidante. "You do realize how ironic that advice is coming from you, right?"

Bruce releases a small chuckle and a mutters a sheepish, "Yeah," as Clint joins in with his laughter and they finish their drinks.

Over at the stage, sitting at a front row table, Pepper patiently waits as Tony finishes the last strains of his second round of karaoke. He gives a few waves to the applauding crowd and happily accepts the few handfuls of cash thrown at him as he saunters back over to their table.

"Tony," she admonishes, "those men are drunk, quit taking their money."

"Can I help it if my public adores me?" he asks earnestly while an inebriated man sways passed their table and deposits a dollar bill in front of the billionaire while shouting, "I love you, Rob!"

"See, _**Rob**_?" she points out with a self-satisfied smile before she takes a sip of her martini. "They think you're Robert Goulet."

His expression remains dry as he picks up the one dollar bill and examines it with scientific curiosity. "You know, I've heard of these but I've never seen one up close before. Should I keep it for the stripper or put it towards our tip?" He stares at her inquisitively. "What do you tip in a place like this anyway?"

"Oh, I don't know," she answers blithely as she removes the dollar from his hand, "maybe twelve percent?"

His face falls flat as he gives her an eyeroll. "Seriously, Pepper? After all this time?" He takes a sip of his drink. "You're not going to let that one go anytime soon, are you?"

"No, and I'm not letting this go anytime soon either," she asserts when he tries to snatch the dollar out of her hand. "I'm saving this and all of the other ones that you've collected for our waitress. Who, incidentally, is not a stripper." Her tone becomes slightly chastising. "Not every place that you choose to occupy has strippers, Tony."

"Yeah, I know," he notes morosely as he swigs down the last of his drink and heads off to the bar for a refill. "More's the pity."

In a quiet corner across the way, Captain America is surprised to find a certain Asgardian warrior sitting on his own scribbling away in a notebook. "It seems great minds think alike," he greets with a smile. "I was looking for a quite place to sit and relax but if you're busy..." he trails off indicating Thor's notebook.

"That is kind of you, my friend, but there is no need and I would be most pleased to share in your company." He nods in the direction of the notebook . "I have actually been meaning to show you this as you were the inspiration for its creation. I, too, have my own notebook to research and learn Midgardian terminology." He hands it to Steve. "You see? My first notation was about flying monkeys."

Steve's eyes quickly travel down the list until he finishes with a grimace twisting his mouth. "Did Stark help you with this list?"

Thor's eyes widen in surprise. "How did you know?"

Steve pulls out his own small notebook. "Because he gave me the same suggestions." He flips through the notebook to show Thor all of the ones that he had crossed out. "I went through them pretty quickly."

"They were that helpful?" asks Thor with interest.

"Not exactly the word that I would use." He sits next to Thor and picks up his pen. "Here, let me help you thin out your list." _Scratch, scratch, scratch._

"Hey, what are you doing to my list?" interrupts Tony on his way back to his and Pepper's table. "Those three were some of my best ideas!"

"Which is why I'm crossing them off first," comments Cap without looking up while he continues to scan the list.

"Fine," huffs Tony as he drops down into the booth at the other end and watches Steve decimate his most prized selections. "However, I feel that I should warn you that you're really only cheating yourself by missing out on the Crying Game." He takes a sip of his Scotch. "That movie is a true classic."

Thor glances over at Steve who gives a firm shake of his head in the negative.

Tony releases a frustrated sigh. "Spoilsport."

Clint passes the trio with a wide grin and heads over to Darcy, who appears to be downing a line of shots. He sits down on the stool next to her and places his glass on the bartop. "Another coke, please." He turns to face her with a broad grin. "Well, I can see that you're enjoying yourself."

"Oh, believe me, I am," she purrs in response as she tilts her head back to drink the liquor in the top of the tiny bottle-shaped chocolate that she just bit off. She swallows it down with a blissful sigh. "Mmmmm, delicious." She pops the empty chocolate into her mouth. "Sorry, I'd offer you one but some of us don't have a nice fat S.H.I.E.L.D. paycheck to allow us to sample the finer things in life."

He sniffs the air. "Yeah, and apparently you've been sampling for quite awhile. It smells like the good stuff, how did you even afford these?"

"Pepper asked me to deliver them to Tony earlier today but apparently he doesn't like being handed things." She flashes a cat that ate the cream smile. "I was more than happy to take these off of his hands."

Clint barks out a laugh. "I bet you were."

"Hey," she notes casually as she reaches for another tiny bottle, "I'm a great believer in the gift of giving." She bites the top off of the bottle and drinks down the contents before turning her attention back to him. "Especially, if it's to me."

"Yeah, I've noticed that," he remarks as he easily avoids her attempt to swat him. Hearing a loud clink, he turns to see Bruce, Jane and Tony each down a shot of liquor before slamming it down on the table. "What's going on over there?"

Darcy spares them a glance before going back to lining up her remaining chocolates. "Apparently, our local brain trust has come up with their own game of 'I have never' and none of them have failed to take a shot after one of them comes up with something." She shakes her head in disbelief before placing her head in her hand. "You'd be amazed by what some people will do in the name of science." She slowly rotates her head to gaze at him. "So how did you like your gift from Nat?"

"I liked it very much. Thank you," he replies to both Darcy and the bartender setting down a new tumbler for him. "She told me how you downloaded the episodes for her since she's been so busy on missions lately."

She smiles when he clicks his glass against one of her chocolate bottles to gesture his appreciation. "You know, I wasn't surprised when she asked me to download a bunch of episodes from a radio show called The Archers, but I was surprised to find out that it was a show 'about every day farm life'." She stares at him inquisitively. "Do you really like that stuff?"

"What can I say?" he offers with a shrug. "I'm a man of mystery."

"Whatever floats your boat, Hawkeye," she replies before placing her chocolates in a ten-pin bowling formation and searching for a jawbreaker in her coat pocket. "So how did Nat like her present from you?"

"The complete James Bond dvd collection? She loved them." He wears a wry grin as he adds, "She thought that they were comedies."

"Yeah, I guess to her they would be," she muses as she makes her first strike.

Back over at Thor's table, Tony drops back down into the booth with a sullen expression. "What brings you back so soon?" inquires Steve.

"Our little drinking game has been interrupted by an interloper." He downs the shot he was holding before divulging to Thor, "It seems that you're not the only one who finds Jane the Brain fascinating."

"She detests it when you call her that," notes the God of Thunder as he abruptly stands to take his leave. "Excuse me friends, but duty calls."

"I don't believe that Jane would care for being referred to as 'a duty'," quips Tony with a slight smirk.

"Nor will she care for the way that I disperse of the man attempting to win her favor but then love always has a price to pay."

"Just remember, Thor, a **little** intimidation goes a long way," advises Steve in a firm tone.

"And so does a law suit so be sure to keep a handle on that hammer of yours when threatening Don Juan over there," orders Tony as they both watch Thor head over to Jane's table. He leans back against the booth and flops his head in Steve's direction. "You really have to admire that man's courage."

Steve has to stifle a smile as he watches the man's reaction to Thor. _I thought only enhanced could move that fast._ He turns back to Tony. "I'd hardly call Thor's scare tactics courageous."

Tony barks out a short laugh. "I'm not talking about Point Break, Cap, I'm talking about the guy who's hitting on his woman!"

Steve gives a frustrated shake of his head. "Seriously, Stark, is everything a joke to you? Has there ever been anything, anyone besides Pepper, or even just one single moment in your life that ever meant anything to you than a punchline?"

Tony swallows down the sip he's just taken and sets down his glass as he stares back at Cap with a sober expression. "Yeah, there was _someone_ who gave me _something_ that made that _one single moment_ mean everything to me." He sits a little straighter as he finishes, "Because in that one single moment, the man who gave me this," he taps his arc reactor, "changed my whole life."

Intrigued at the thought that Tony Stark could care about anyone so much other than himself or his girlfriend, Steve leans in and questions, "Who was he?"

Tony leans his had back and briefly stares at the ceiling while releasing a soft sigh. "His name was Dr. Ho Yinsen, he took care of me when I was held captive by the Ten Rings. He's also the one who installed the electromagnet to keep the shrapnel away from my heart," he chuckles softly, "even had it hooked up to a car battery for a while. A lot of people think that this," he taps his chest again, "was the greatest gift that he ever gave me, but it wasn't, it was much better than that, it was hope."

Steve's eyes widen slightly in surprise. "He sounds like quite an inspiration, I'd like to meet him sometime."

"You can't," Tony immediately responds in a quiet tone, "he's dead."

"I'm sorry," and he truly is for the loss of someone to have affected his teammate's life to such a degree. "What happened?"

"It was during our escape, I made it and he didn't. Obviously," he states with a flourish of his hand to indicate his own presence, "but the reason he didn't make it was because of me. He helped me build the prototype for the Iron Man suit for our big break out but we needed more time for the suit to fully charge so he bought it for us." Tony's mouth tightens at the memory. "Whenever I think of that time, one of the most vivid memories that I have is seeing this man of peace pick up a machine gun and running into the tunnels, his gun blazing so to speak, to save our lives." Tony takes a large gulp of his drink and remains silent for a time. "He told me that we met at a technical conference in Bern but that I had been too drunk at the time to remember the meeting." His expression turns wry. "No surprise there, eh, Cap?" Steve doesn't comment aloud, opting to merely smile kindly in reply. "Well, anyway, he was a great guy. He translated for me, he told me the truth when I didn't want to hear it and he went under threat of torture and death just to make sure that I made it out of there alive. His eyes radiate the most sincere expression of personal pain that Steve has ever seen on him. "He did all of that to save me so that I wouldn't waste my life and it cost him his in order to make that happen." His mouth is half grin, half grimace. "That's why I act on impulse, Cap. Because if I stop and think about something then I won't react. I'll have wasted a chance to do something but if I act, my actions can make a difference. I have to keep my promise to him, Steve, it's the one promise in this life that I refuse to let myself break." He breathes deep and releases it as if he's expelling all of the bad memories that go along with his confession.

Steve gives a solemn nod of understanding. "I think I've underestimated you, Tony."

"Yeah, but only because you never saw me with those triplets who were Swedish models," he notes with a waggle of his eyebrows and a devilish smile. "So, that's my story, Cap, the story of how Dr. Ho Yinsen saved me, along with my life and my sanity," he attempts a small smile, "or what's left of it. How about you, Cap? Anyone special in your life?"

"Not much to tell that everyone doesn't already know," he answers with a shrug. "You of all people know that Dr. Abraham Erskine was the man who made me the man I am today." He smiles softly when he allows himself to think back on the doctor, something he doesn't do all that often without involving regret. "He was a great guy, too. He was kind and compassionate and knew when somebody was willing to do whatever it took to make a difference for the better."

"Somebody like you," Tony states without the slightest trace of sarcasm.

"Yeah, somebody like me," he admits with a huge grin. "I didn't have a chance in hell of passing an army physical, not until he gave me that chance." He laughs at the memory. "Your dad probably showed you the pictures before the transformation. I was a scrawny kid from Brooklyn who had more fight in his heart than in his body but that's what made Dr. Erskine give me a chance. He recognized that the size and strength of a person's heart and character sometimes won out over the size of their body and he valued that." His grin widens as he remembers, "The night before the test, he brought over Schnaaps to calm our nerves but decided it was best if he drank alone so as not to mess up the serum's chances." He and Tony share a smile. "I don't think he minded too much. He also asked me to promise him that I would stay who I was, not a perfect soldier, but a good man." His grin slowly fades and his tone fills with sorrow as he recounts their last few moments together. "When he was shot by the Hydra agent who tried to steal the serum, he didn't have any last words for me...he just looked me straight in the eye and tapped his finger against my heart." Steve swallows harshly. "And then he died."

Steve takes a deep breath and a few sips of beer to gather himself enough to speak. "He thought I was a good man and he believed in me enough to endow me with the Super Soldier Serum. He gave my body the strength to match my heart so that I could make a difference." He stares at Tony intently as he confesses, "Sometimes, when some days are harder than others, I just want to give up and be a regular guy, let someone else take care of the world's messes." Tony's eyebrows rise at the admission but he makes no verbal comment. "It's his faith in me that allows me to carry on, to give people their own fighting chance, the chance that he gave to me."

They sit there quietly, simply taking a moment to enjoy the silence between them in honor of both the two men who helped them become the men they are today and also for the first stirrings of true friendship and camraderie. It was something that neither of them ever thought would occur but are glad has finally happened and they both share a smile at the thought that for an old soldier like Steve and for a playboy like Tony, it _would_ have to take place in a bar.

Tony raises his glass into the air and Steve imitates him. "To two men of science who allowed us to become extraordinary examples of their visions of peace," toasts Tony to which Steve adds, "May we do them proud."

Tony savors the warm liquid before swallowing and turning to Steve with a pleased grin. "Did you notice how I never once mentioned that it was a Ho that made me the man I am today?"

Without even bothering to spare him a glance, Steve takes another swig of his beer and says, "Quit ruining the moment, Tony."

Sitting quietly at his table, Bruce stares quizzically at the two men trying to figure out what could cause them to be able to sit in such close proximity for so long without coming to barbs or blows. He shakes his head in puzzlement, he just hopes that whatever it is won't require a Code Green.

He reaches into the small knapsack that he keeps with him for just such an emergency, checking to make sure that he's brought an extra set of clothes when he discovers his Christmas present from Tony. Bruce allows himself a small smile of delight as he begins tearing off the wrapping in anticipation to reveal a first edition book, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. He pulls out the card that Tony had tucked into the book and reads, ' _It's about a doctor who's trying to control a huge green rage monster. The moment I saw it, I thought of you. ~ Tony'._

He releases a short laugh at Tony's sense of humor, he was used to it though. For all of Tony's teasing and innappropriate humor, he was still his best friend, fellow Science Bro (as Darcy had dubbed them) and the first person to accept all of him without question, both the man and the monster. _He's the closest thing that I have to family..._ His thoughts suddenly interrupted when Tony calls out to him to come join him on stage.

"Hey, Bruce, come on!" he bellows across the bar. "You've got to come over and join me, buddy, this is your song!" Bruce's expression is pure puzzlement until Tony picks up where he left off and then he instantly recognizes the song. "Ch-ch-changes, turn and face the strange!"

 _Yeah, he's definitely like family,_ muses Bruce with a groan as he drops his head into his hands as Tony's groupies chant, "Rob, Rob, Rob!" _But still,_ he decides with a mild glare thrown in Tony's direction, _jerk._

Steve's glance is full of sympathy as he walks by Bruce's table to make his way to the bar.

"Hey, Cap! How are you doing?" welcomes Darcy with a slight slur. She points her finger at him before poking him in the chest. "You know I've been looking for you."

He notes the contents of the bartop with an eye of suspicion when he catches the scent of liquor from several of the half broken chocolate bottles that line the bar. _How many of these has she had?_ "Oh? How can I help you?"

She reaches into her purse and pulls out a neatly wrapped present and hands it to him. "Instead of the Santa Claus that Tony was going to hire, I've been playing Santa so that Thor doesn't have a total melt down."

With a grateful smile, he opens the card and reads, ' _To Steve, You once told me that my being able to find the Cube was the only word on me that you cared about so I'd like to offer you one word of my own in return. Thanks. I know what it feels like to be out of place but maybe here's someone who can help you feel a bit less out of time._ He unwraps the paper and smiles down at the dvd in his hands, the 1939 movie serial, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century starring Buster Crabbe. He remembers watching it back in his time, it was about a man who was buried in a cave-in and held in suspended animation until he awoke five hundred years in the future. His grin broadens at the unique way that Bruce has come up with to bring his past and present together. He couldn't think of a more appropriate gift.

"I didn't know that you liked movies," she chirps as she peeks at his present. "You know, I went the dvd route too and bought one for Thor." She grins rather smugly until she shares, "It's a Care Bears movie." Seeing his confusion, she explains, "They're little cartoon bears with powers based on emotion. "I know, I know," she admits as she waves away the argument that she believes Steve is about to offer. "It's not the big guy's usual cup of mead, I'm sure, but he really became fascinated with them when I told him that they had their own rainbow bridge."

"Hey, Cap!" calls out Tony as he run back up onto the stage. "How about a duet?" He starts to sway to the 1940s music that he's selected on the karaoke machine. "We could go on a little 'Sentimental Journey' together? Come on!"

"No thanks, _Rob_ ," he answers laughingly. "I'm fine, right here."

"Oh, come on!" he encourages while he waves him over and ignores his audience's assurances of "You don't need him, Rob!" and "Who doesn't love Doris Day? That's unAmerican!" He gives Steve one last chance. "What if I promise to buy a war bond?"

A firm shakes of his head convinces Tony to perform solo while Steve returns his attention back to Darcy. "So, did Santa bring you what you wanted for Christmas?" he inquires casually, knowing that Jane had Tony cough up the latest Stark MP3 player for her when he lost of one their many science bets.

Darcy blearily eyes the mistletoe hanging directly over them. "He has now," she coos before picking up one of the broken chocolate bottles and nibbling on it.

Before Steve can even try and muster the courage for a response, Tony slides onto a stool beside him. "What's wrong?" asks Steve. "I thought you were performing up on stage."

"I was but I had to cut it short." He looks at them with a what can you do about it expression. "I kept forgetting the words and my fans were sobering up." He casts his gaze over to the mistletoe above their heads. "Is this where the line starts? If so, then I believe that I'm next."

Darcy finishes off her chocolate bottle and offers a smirk. "Really? Because from what I heard, you were kissed plenty after that nuke detonated the Chitauri."

"What?" yelps Tony, almost falling off his stool. "What are you talking about? Nobody kissed me!"

"That's not what Thor told me, "she proclaims with a sly look, "and he was there."

"Very funny, Lewis, but nobody kissed me," insists Tony, "least of all Goldilocks."

"I wasn't referring to Thor, Tony." Her smile widens devilishly. "Not when there was a doctor in the house, so to speak."

"A doctor?" Tony stiffens. "The only so called doctor there was Bruce."

"We didn't really talk about those sorts of things in my time," states Steve uncomfortably before turning his head away to avoid Tony's gaze. The last thing he wanted to do was ruin this moment by laughing.

Tony sat there stunned. _Bruce. My teammate, fellow scientist and best friend. He wouldn't..._ His brows furrow together as he recalls the others telling him that Bruce was the one who revived him but they never said how. His eyes sweep the the bar until his gaze lands on the man in question. "Banner!" barks Tony, startling the scientist with the intensity of his tone, "I want a word with you!"

As Tony leaves, Darcy turns to Steve with a self-satisfied smile. "Now where were we?" His eyes widen considerably as his eyes scan for the quickest escape route. "Oh, come on, don't be shy! Look, I know what we can do, let's start out slow and just talk." She scoots closer when he immediately relaxes at the suggestion. "Fortunately for you, I am both a pop culture queen and political science major." She grabs the bartop in her attempt to sit a little straighter while Steve reaches out to steady her at the same time. "What are you interested in?"

"I don't know, there's so much to catch up on," he replies after serious consideration. "What do you suggest?"

Darcy's eyes take on an all too innocent gaze. "Well, that depends, do you like to fondue?"

Steve offers a rueful smile and a curt nod. "Ah, I'm sensing the work of Tony's big mouth and that his father had an even bigger one."

Darcy waves her hand dismissively. "Forget them, Cap, and concentrate on me." She leans in closer and whispers, "I have a mouth on me too."

"Yes, I've actually heard that about you," he returns with an uneasy smile as he moves his stool back in one hop. He takes a sip of the mead that Thor offered him, an Asgardian brew that Thor's people had named the Red Skull and peers down into the dark ale. _The Red Skull. How ironic is that?_ Darcy waggles her eyebrows at him while Steve nervously takes a large gulp of the mead. _Darcy Lewis, or the Red Skull,_ he considers with an inward sigh. Even without his inability to become intoxicated, he had a feeling he knew who would turn out to be more dangerous.

"Natasha!" booms Thor in greeting in a dark secluded area as he approaches her table. "Why do you sit here alone? Come and join the festivities!" He stands before her with a huge grin. "Darcy wants us all to partake in a game known as 'I have never'. Have you heard of it?"

Nat's smile turns into a smirk. "Yes, and I have a feeling that I'd be the last one standing by the end of the game." She pauses a moment to reconsider before adding, "And possibly Stark." Her grin is wry as Thor look on at her in confusion. "Darcy will explain it to you."

"Does that mean that you do not wish to join us?" he asks disappointedly.

"Thank you, but no," she declines politely. "I've never been what you would call a party girl." She lifts her tumbler full of Vodka to her lips and takes a sip. "I'm perfectly content to sit here."

"Then I shall join you!" he announces as he plunks his stein full of mead onto the table and scoots along the booth until he can place an arm alongside the booth behind her head.

"That's really not necessary, Thor," she insists as she moves back a bit to give herself some space.

"Of course it's not _necessary_ , Natasha. It is so that we may enjoy ourselves with drink and conversation."

 _ **"Talk?"**_ she reiterates in a nervous tone. She leans back even further and crosses her arms across her chest as she eyes him with a mix of curiosity and a hint of suspicion. "Talk about what? We haven't exactly been known for chatting or having anything in common for that matter."

"That's where you're wrong, my friend, we have much in common." He takes a drink and smiles widely. "We are both proud and fierce warriors, we will do anything to protect those that we love and out of everyone here, we are the only two who see each other as we are and not who we appear to be to others." Natasha relaxes her posture and leans in closer as she becomes intrigued at his statement. "I am well aware of how people view me. Because of my unfamiliararity with your realm, I am seen as an innocent, a man-child who needs to be led by the hand and have everything explained to him and _cute_ ," his expression twists briefly in disgust, "that is, from what Darcy tells me of the various posts on Facebook." He frowns menacingly. "That is unacceptable." Then he suddenly bears a broad grin. "With the exception of Jane, of course."

Nat gives him an indulgent smile. "Of course." She then pushes herself to a standing position. "Well, that was a good talk, we'll have to do it again sometime." She's about to step away when his next words stop her cold.

"Interesting," he muses as he rotates his stein, "I've never known you to be afraid of **anything** , much less saying what you feel."

She immediately sits back down and gives him a level stare. Let's get something straight between us, Thor. For one, I'm not afraid of **anything** and for another," she leans towards him as she lowers her voice to a near growl, "you really don't want to know what I'm feeling right now."

Thor's laughter rings throughout the bar as he claps his hands in approval. "Well done! That was an excellent performance," he congratulates heartily before pinning her down with his gaze, "but we both know that's all it was, Natasha. I told you, I see the real you and I do know of one thing that scares you."

"And what's that?" she asks with a great deal of trepidition, fearing he already knew the answer. "You fear that you will lose Clint."

And there it was, he hit the target right on the mark as surely as he had thrown his hammer. "And how do you figure that?"

His eyes gentle along with his tone. "I saw how you were when we first met. Your constant and relentless search for Barton to return him home. 'Along with one of our own' you replied when informing me of Loki's activities, but what you meant was he was yours."

"Clint's not mine," she dismisses easily, "we're not like that."

"You may not be together in the romantic sense but there is love there. You two care for each other a great deal." He waves his hand in an arc to indicate their companions. "Everyone can see it."

"Clint and I are old friends," she replies while lightly dancing her fingers on the brim of her glass, "and I owe him a debt."

"A debt need be repaid only once, the bonds of friendship last forever," he counters with a knowing look.

Pulling her eyes away from his watchful gaze, she reluctantly nods in acceptance. "Clint is special, he's my best friend." Her gaze remains averted and her posture stiffens as she shares, "My training began when I was very young and everything, every day, was all about training, never about me. Clint made a different call when he met me and for once, somebody put me first." She looks Thor straight in the eye without any embarrasment or shame. "He truly saved me that day. When I'm with Clint, I'm never alone."

"Natasha," he addresses as he places his hand over hers in a gesture of comfort and friendship, "you're not alone. At least not anymore." His grip tightens over hers in reassurance. "We are your teamates, your friends, your family, whatever you need us to be. But the last thing that we will ever let you be is alone, not ever again."

The denial that would normally fly past her lips is pushed aside for the more honest and sincere reply from her heart. "Thank you."

Thor drains the last of his glass and after glancing down at the stein, he then offers a hopeful expression to Nat. "Shall we join the others in Darcy's drinking game?"

"Why not?" she surrenders gracefully as they both ease themselves out of the booth.

"Perhaps you could explain to me the rules of the game, I'm not quite clear on them."

A mischevious twinkle appears in Nat's eyes as she explains the rules to 'I have never' and promptly suggests, "Maybe you could start off with, 'I have never been tasered unconcious by a political-science student?'"

"Careful, Widow," he warns jokingly, "or you might find yourself alone very quickly."

"But not for very long," she states for the first time in her life with absolute certainty.

"No, my friend," he heartily assures her while pulling her into a one-armed embrace, "not for long at all."

 **The End**


End file.
